Tennessee Divorce Steps
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Initial Tennessee Divorce Steps
While completing the Complaint for Divorce, the following information is required.
- Below mentioned points regarding husband, wife and children
- Full names
- Addresses
- Birthdays
- Social Security Numbers
- Employer's information regarding the divorcing couple
- Date of wedding and separation
- Grounds of divorce
The Petitioner must sign such a completed Complaint in the presence of a Notary Public. If the grounds are mentioned as "irreconcilable differences", the divorce is categorized as uncontested. Otherwise, it is contested.
- The divorcing couple must draft the "Marital Dissolution Agreement"
- If the divorcing couple has children, then, the couple must draft the "Permanent Parenting Plan"
- Both the above mentioned documents require discussions on various divorce issues like child custody, child support etc
- During this divorce step of discussion, there is a need of maximum collaboration between the divorcing parties and their lawyers
- After the final drafts of these two documents are made, both the divorcing partners must sign these documents in front of a Notary Public
- If the divorcing couple has children, the court orders that the couple should remain present at the Parenting Classes. This is necessary for the finalization of the divorce
Tennessee Divorce Steps regarding waiting period
The next divorce step is of the waiting period. In case of Shelby County, the following waiting periods have been specified.
- 60 days from the date of filing if the divorce case does not involve children
- 90 days from the date of filing, if the divorce case involves children
After the completion of the waiting period, the next divorce step is planning out the final hearing. There are two options in this case.
- If the filing was done in a Chancery Court, the hearing is placed on a 10-day rule docket in person. The court schedules the date of the hearing. Then, the lawyer or the court contacts the Petitioner to intimate the date
- If the filing was done in a Circuit Court, the hearing date is planned over the phone
- While attending the final hearing, the Petitioner must have a draft of the Final Decree of Divorce. This document must comprise of the major points of the divorce and should grant the divorce.
- The Petitioner must remain present in court at the scheduled date and time. This person must answer the questions asked by the judge
- Eventually, the judge signs the Final Decree of Divorce
- Now the partners are divorced. However, the divorce becomes officially final after 30 days have passed since the judge passed the order. Thus, the partners cannot remarry during these 30 days
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